Language and Thinking: The Cognitive Wheels of Human Life

Description

Riya Rani and Harprit Kaur (Department of Psychology, Punjabi University, Patiala, Punjab)

This narrative review explores cognitive development, focusing on language and thinking. The focus is on the development of the two from prenatal stages through life. Integrating interdisciplinary theories, it examines symbolic thought, emotional intelligence, sociocultural influences, and multilingualism. It synthesizes interdisciplinary insights from psychology, philosophy, and linguistics, drawing on foundational theories from Chomsky, Wittgenstein, Heidegger, and Kahneman. It highlights the symbolic and imaginative nature of thinking. It emphasizes the role of language in structuring thought and enabling abstract representation. The review also considers sociocultural influences, bilingualism, and conceptual relativism. It shows how environmental and cultural contexts shape linguistic development. Ultimately, the paper affirms that cognition, thinking, and language are deeply interwoven and form the foundations of human intellectual and communicative capacity. This review provides a comprehensive understanding of how thinking and language co-evolve, enabling humans to navigate complex routines, express nuanced emotions, and engage meaningfully with the world around them. It affirms that thinking and language are foundational to cognition.